Stockpiling of donations for an expected multimillion-dollar campaign over a ballot question that would have a broad impact on the courts continued in January, according to financial reports filed this week.
Proponents and opponents of Senate Joint Resolution 8 -- a proposed constitutional amendment to cap attorneys' fees, punitive and "non-economic" lawsuit damages, and to shift final rule-making authority of the courts to the Legislature -- raised a total of more than $290,000 in January alone, according to the reports.
The total amount available to the campaigns -- which so far have spent little of their haul collected over months -- passed $1.8 million by the end of January.
The amendment was placed on the Nov. 6 general election ballot by lawmakers last year in their regular session.
With months to go before that election, and with a primary battle for the governorship and state legislative seats in between, it's unlikely that the public campaign over SJR8 will begin until after the May 22 primary and nonpartisan general elections, officials previously told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
For now, the parties on either side of the campaign are focused on raising money, their financial reports show.
Lifted by a surge in spending by law firms and state attorneys, opponents of the proposed amendment began February with the most cash on hand. Proponents, backed by business groups and the state Chamber of Commerce, had more money available to start the year.
Business groups that have pushed for the amendment -- hospitals and nursing homes, as well as the construction, insurance and trucking industries -- have described the proposal as "tort reform" that will lower the risks to businesses that become subject to suits for damages.
Judges and attorneys, on the other hand, describe the amendment as a power grab that will erode the power of an independent judiciary and limit Arkansans' abilities to seek compensation in courts.
Reports from the various ballot issue committees were due to be submitted to the Arkansas Ethics Commission by Thursday. Their reported totals are as follows:
• The Protect AR Families committee, which opposes SJR8, reported it raised $233,674 in January, all of it from law firms and attorneys. The committee spent $10,755 and had $878,975 in the bank at the end of the month.
• Arkansans For Jobs and Justice, which supports SJR8 and received its support from a doctor, an insurance firm and two industry associations, reported it raised $58,250, spent $21,475 and had $827,755 available to spend.
• The Liberty Defense Network, which was started and almost entirely supported by the Brad Hendricks Law Firm to oppose SJR8, reported a single donation of $50 last month. The committee spent $2,799 and still had $101,512 cash on hand.
• Defending Your Day In Court, an Arkansas Bar Association-backed committee that opposes SJR8, raised $5,700 in January and reported spending $3. The group ended the month with $18,291.
Metro on 02/17/2018